


Frederick/Robin Drabble Collection

by WaltzingFuriosa



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2019-09-20 19:36:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17028729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaltzingFuriosa/pseuds/WaltzingFuriosa
Summary: A collection of short, fluffy, self-indulgent Robin/Frederick scenes that I wrote a while back. I just really love them as a badass power couple that can absolutely wreck your shit but also love each other very much. Enjoy!





	1. The Woman We Found

They found her lying in a crumpled heap in the middle of the field. Lissa saw her first, although she was barely visible in the tall grass. She thought it might have been a wounded animal, but Frederick wouldn't let her investigate alone. 

Once Chrom helped her up, he could not help but notice the woman’s height. Although she currently stood with a slight slouch, the stranger towered over Lissa and, at her full height, might even surpass Frederick. Lissa stared at her, open mouthed, with unconcealed admiration. Her fine, dark robes—flecked with dirt and grass—were painfully out of place in the bucolic setting.

”Oh thank goodness! We were afraid you were lost to us!” Lissa said with characteristic pep.

The woman sad nothing in reply and just stared at the three of them. Seemingly still dazed from whatever it was that had left her unconscious.

"Why were you lying in a field?" Said Frederick. The question was more wary than concerned.

"I don't know." she said in a hoarse whisper.

“I see. And what brings you here?”

“Uh… I… can’t… remember?” she said, rubbing her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut, as if warding off an oncoming headache.

“Can’t remember? How convenient."

Lissa swatted Frederick’s chest plate. Slightly bruising her hand in the process. "Ow… Ok, that's enough. There's being cautious and then there's just being a jerk.” She flashed a smile back at the woman, “Hello!! My name is Lissa! This here is my brother, Chrom and the ball of sunshine interrogating you is Freddy!"

"Please don't call me that—“

"What's _your_ name?"

The stranger had seemed to regain some of her composure and looked to be about to speak, but faltered.

"I... I don't know that either, actually."


	2. A Quick Word

“My lord, may I speak plainly.”

“Always, Frederick.”

The two had retreated a ways from the spot where they had found the mystery woman lying on the ground. Lissa was checking her for wounds and chatting amicably as she worked. The woman seemed content to listen.

Frederick didn’t like leaving the lady alone with the stranger so he made sure to keep them in view at all times.

“Milord,” he started, “I’m not sure it is wise to bring her along. We don’t know anything about her.”

Chrom nodded, “I understand your skepticism but we can’t just abandon her. She doesn’t even remember who she is!”

“Something that I still think is highly convenient.“ Frederick interjected.

“Most people would consider that to be highly inconvenient.”

“My Lord, surely you’ve noticed her robes! They are distinctly Plegian—“

“Of course I’ve noticed! I just—“ Chrom stopped himself and sighed, ‘’I’m sorry, Frederick. It’s just hard to explain. I feel that I can trust her.” 

Frederick didn't reply, but he looked thoroughly unconvinced.

“If I prove to be wrong,” Chrom continued in a placating tone, “we can deal with her later. She’s just one woman after all. And soon we will be rejoining the others. She’ll be hopelessly outnumbered then.”

Frederick frowned. “That may be true but we won’t get there for another day. I am more concerned with what she could do before we reach camp.” 

“Then you will just have to keep an eye on her until then, Frederick. I could not imagine a better man for the job.” He said, clasping Frederick by the shoulder.

Chrom looked past Frederick to Lissa and the stranger. Frederick followed his gaze. 

Lissa seemed to be telling a joke, a usual tactic she uses to to put people at ease as she is healing them. Clasping her hands dramatically, and pulling a comical face, Lissa delivered the punch line, causing the stranger to burst into laughter, loud and warm and, as far as Frederick could tell, completely genuine.

Chrom looked at Frederick again, smiling. “Come now Frederick, do try to give her a chance. Even if she is Plegian, that doesn’t mean she’s an enemy. We aren’t at war—”

He did not finish the sentence but the unspoken “yet” hung heavy in the air. Suddenly, Frederick noticed how tired Chrom looked, his young face had become haggard with worry and sleepless nights. He looked back at Lissa and said no more.

Frederick merely bowed his head. “Of course, My lord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll post a few more once I've made them a bit more presentable. Thanks for reading!


	3. Alone at Camp

Frederick had not slept. He still did not trust this stranger, who they now knew was named Robin.

Yes, she had proven helpful in defending that village, but her fighting prowess only proved that she could indeed be a threat.

It was the middle of the night and they had set up camp in a quiet wooded area just beyond the path. Chrom and Lissa had gone off deeper into the forest, presumably to talk, leaving Frederick alone with Robin. She was asleep leaned back against a tree, her face turned away from him. He had taken a similar position on a tree opposite her.

The fire crackled at the center of the camp. Other than that, the rustling of the leaves, and the chattering of various forest creatures, the forest was still.

The quiet gave him time to think. Chrom’s look from earlier today still haunted Frederick. As much as they wanted to deny it, war with the Plegians seemed increasingly inevitable with each passing day. The thought of the royal family having to preside over another war broke his heart.

Although he was just a boy at the time, Frederick remembered what it was like when Chrom and Lissa’s father ruled. And the stories his mother used to tell him of her time as protector of the royal family during the war would would sometimes still keep him up at night. 

Frederick could disarm an assassin in two seconds. He could detect miniscule amounts of 43 different kinds of poisons through taste or smell alone. He could protect the royal family from physical harm—gladly give his life doing so if necessary—but he could not shield them from the anguish that came with ruling a country, let alone one on the brink of war. It frustrated him. 

He sighed.

“Can’t sleep either, huh?” 

Frederick’s attention snapped to the source of the voice. His eyes met with Robin's, now awake and observing him from her spot by the tree.

“Oh!” She raised her hands, smiling at him “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

How long had she been watching him? “It is quite alright. I will survive.” He said, dryly. 

Her mouth quirked up for a second at that. “I should hope so, You’re the one that’s supposed to be protecting us, correct?”

”Yes. I protect the royal family." He said, flashing her a steely look, "from any that may do them harm."

To her credit, Robin held his gaze, although she seemed to tense at the implication.

"You really don't trust me." She said, cutting straight to the point.

Frederick responded to her bluntness in kind. ”Not in the slightest."

"I understand."

That caught him off guard, but before he could respond she continued.

"You're escorting royalty across open, unguarded spaces. It's your job to anticipate threats. I'm a stranger with no real story and obviously I could just be lying about having amnesia. For all you know, my whole situation could just be an excuse for me get close to Chrom or Lissa."

Frederick was not expecting this. Is this her attempt at putting him at ease? 

"...Exactly."

"Well, for what it's worth Frederick, I'm not out to kill anyone."

“It has been my experience that words are worth very little.”

Robin laughed lightly, ”Fair enough. How about this then, Think of this logically: if i was some kind of assassin or spy and this all was some complicated ruse orchestrated by me—“

"And possibly any conspirators you might be working with." Frederick interjected.

“—Right, conspirators—what would be the reasoning behind my setting up our meeting the way it happened?”

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it was pretty lucky that you found me lying in a field while you happened to walk by." 

“Well it would not be a matter of luck. Once you ascertained our destination, either through outside sources or eavesdropping on our conversations, it would be very simple to anticipate our path and plant yourself accordingly.”

Robin scoffed, “So I just threw myself in a field pretending to be unconscious with the hope that you would see me from the road? That doesn't seem very practical."

Frederick reached for a fresh log and threw it into the fire. “And what would be more practical?"

"Well, the benefit of you finding me unconscious is that it would elicit sympathy. That, coupled with the amnesia—which would obviously be a lie in this scenario—“

"Obviously."

“—would give me the impression of being less of a threat and therefore lull you—well, maybe not YOU, necessarily—into a false sense of security."

She paused and glanced at Frederick to see if he wanted to add anything then continued.

"But waiting in a field is just too risky, and introduces far too much uncertainty into the plan. What if you switched paths? Or just somehow failed to notice me? I was in tall grass after all. It could be a colossal waste of time and, I might add, would require me to leave myself unguarded and vulnerable to attack.”

Robin poked the fire with a stick, sending sparks shooting up into the night sky. “There are just too many unnecessary details. No, the best plans,” she looked up at him over the flames, “are the simplest.”

Frederick was at a loss as to what this conversation could possibly be leading to. Was she toying with him? Showing off? She was definitely showing off but, to what end? He decided to run with it for now. Keeping her talking might get her to reveal something about herself. "Well then, since you seem to be such a master tactician, what would you do instead?"

She pointed at him like he was a particularly bright pupil that had just answered a tough question, "Well! What I would do is pretend to be injured. I would wait by the road, maybe stage an attack or accident with my “conspirators” and then request your aid in getting to the capital safely. Finally, once I've gained your trust, I would slit your throats in the night."

"And what if there's a lookout?"

“Simple, I would have someone tailing me during the trip to kill the watchman silently from afar, with a clean arrow shot probably, leaving the rest to me. 

Frederick hand twitched towards the sword at his belt. He suddenly felt very exposed. The shadows between the trees felt darker. He wondered where Chrom and Lissa had gotten to. “You seem to be enjoying yourself, building this morbid little scenario.” he said, cooly.

Robin waved her hand dismissively, “It’s all purely hypothetical of course. A mental exercise. And besides, sparring with you is fun. Do you play chess by any chance? I think you'd make a formidable opponent." She leaned forward earnestly, legs crossed, and rested her chin on her palm.

The knight took a moment to really look at Robin. She seemed amicable enough, but there was something about her that nagged at him. He once again noticed her robes, dark and intricate with red and gold patterns. Unmistakably Plegian in design. That she had chosen to wander around Ylisse alone wearing a getup like that was puzzling and, if anything, a point in favor of her amnesia story.

He was reminded of King Gangrel, whom he'd had the misfortune of meeting a few times over the course of several “peace” talks with the Exalt. He remembered the Mad King's barely contained glee when discussing the “consequences” of failing to appease him. His flippant disregard in the face of impending war. As if he craved it, as if he welcomed the death and destruction gladly. As if it was all a mere game. He saw a hint of that same zeal now as Robin spoke. It repulsed him.

“Unfortunately,” Frederick started, his words low and deliberate, “when it comes to these things—assassins, complicated murder plots, what have you—I do not have the luxury of hypotheticals and abstractions. As such, I have never found chess terribly appealing.” He gave her a scornful look and added, “But I suppose it’s easy to toy around with the idea of death when one reduces real people into mere pawns.”

Robin flinched at his final words and sat up straight. Her light, easygoing demeanor had utterly deflated. She now stared at him with undisguised shock. For the first time since they had met, Robin looked genuinely perturbed and... hurt?

Frederick’s satisfaction at finally catching his opponent off guard was soured slightly by an annoying twinge of guilt.

Robin began to speak rapidly, ”That—that’s not what I meant—“

A dazzling light burst forth from high above the forest. 

"What—“ Frederick said, as the two looked around, the tension between them momentarily forgotten.

A scream echoed nearby.

He jumped to his feet, “That was Lissa!" He hurried to his horse and mounted it in one fluid movement.

Robin got up to follow him and made to get on his horse as well. Frederick put out a hand to stop her. "No, you stay here."

"Like hell I am, move over."

"You will sta—“

"Do you really want to waste time arguing about this?" She hissed. “I can fight. You might need me.”

They faced each other, both unyielding. Another pulse of light and yet more screams could be heard in the distance. 

With an exasperated hiss, Frederick finally relented. “Fine, get on." he said and outstretched his hand to help her up. Robin grinned and took it and in the next moment she was settling into the saddle just behind him. 

"Thanks. See, that wasn't so ba—AAAUGH" Robin yelled as Frederick urged his horse onward, only just managing to grab a hold of Frederick's waist in time to keep herself from falling backwards.


	4. Ambush

Robin and Frederick rode through the woods in silence, Hawthorne—Frederick’s trusty steed of many years—gliding between trees and hopping over underbrush. They had encountered no obstacles as they raced towards the sounds of battle emanating from somewhere ahead of them. In fact, the only other signs of life were the odd deer or small creature dashing away in the opposite direction.

Robin held tight to Frederick’s waist as she struggled to catch glimpses of the sky through the dense forest canopy. 

“I can’t see much through all the trees,” Robin yelled over the sounds of galloping hooves, “It’s almost like… like the sun has appeared in the middle of the night! I don’t understand it!”

“It it magic that’s causing this?” he yelled back, keeping his eyes on the path.

The mage considered this. There was, of corse, magic afoot. Even from this distance she could tell that much. But this magic was unlike any she had experienced before. Despite her amnesia, Robin had retained a fairly robust knowledge of magic in its many forms and schools, but this power was of a scope and magnitude that went beyond any of her knowledge.

It was expansive. Awesome. To even begin to comprehend its nature would be akin to trying to ascertain the shape and course of a great river by standing at its shore and looking around.

But what concerned her the most was that something about the energy filled her with a terrible, malicious longing.

Before Robin could properly answer Frederick’s question, Hawthorne slowed down as they approached the clearing, taking care to remain in cover.

“Gods…” Frederick murmured as he looked out at the scene before them. Robin leaned out from behind the knight to get a better look.

Chrom was on the left side of the clearing, standing in front of a large stone formation that touched the edge of the wood. His sword was drawn and he was fighting alongside a stranger—a small, quick young man who’s mask obscured the top half of his face.

They were were backed up against this rock by a horde of armed soldiers. Except, she realized, these were not normal soldiers. Their slack faces, sunken, almost leathery, features, and red eyes gave the impression of dead men come to life.

High above them, shining and resplendent, was a yawning portal. The unmistakeable source of the tremendous magical energy permeating this area and, presumably, the attackers who now circled the two swordsmen.

Robin took it all in, the sounds of battle galvanizing her in much the same way they had during the bandit raid they subdued earlier that day. Her thoughts coming into razor focus as she absorbed the information in front of her and calculated the best strategy for success.

13 foot soldiers. Armed with swords and axes—no ranged weapons, good—all surrounding Chrom and the unknown warrior to the left of the clearing. They have yet to notice us.

They could barrel in, use Frederick as a wedge to break up the line. The horse gives Frederick the higher ground. I can stay back and attack from a distance. Assuming they were vulnerable to magic, she could pick off the monsters separated from the group. Then there was the large stone, a possible tactical advantage—

“Where is Lissa?” Frederick whispered, cutting into her thoughts, “Do you see her?”

Gods, she had gotten so caught up in the thrill of battle that she had forgotten Lissa. Robin shook her head at her own foolishness.

She looked again at the battlefield, taking special care to focus on the spaces between the action, when she saw a flicker of movement in the shadows. Right there, behind the rock the warriors fought beside. Robin allowed herself a small smile.

Got you.

———

The air was charged with an electricity that even the most magically inert being could pick up. Frederick surveyed the scene before him, his eyes still somewhat dazzled by the light hanging in the sky.

“Robin, do you see Lissa?” he repeated, looking around desperately.

In that moment he felt Robin let go of him, slide off of his horse, and wordlessly start to make her way towards the clearing.

“Where are you going?” he hissed at her. 

She looked back at him, her eyes shining with an intensity that made Frederick nervous. “She’s hiding behind that stone formation.”

The knight looked closer to where Robin was pointing and sure enough, he saw a flicker of blond hair and some hem in the shadow of the rock.

Robin continued, “She’s safe for now but she has no weapon. I’m going to go and help her get away before those monsters notice her.” She took another quick look at the clearing, “I suggest you attack the group from the rear. Break up the formation and pick them off from there.”

And with that, she moved to leave. 

“Wait!”

Robin stopped. 

Every fiber of Frederick’s being was telling him that he could not leave this woman alone with Lissa. His mind filled with images of Lissa being quietly spirited away in the scuffle, her hands tied, her eyes wide with terror. Of finding her mangled corpse abandoned in the woods after the battle. He wanted Robin to stay right where he could see her. But…

In the clearing, Chrom sliced clean through one of the creatures, only to have it stagger and continue on as if nothing had happened. Fredrick saw another one of the monsters stray dangerously close to where Lissa was hiding.

He had to make a decision.

“Fine.” He sighed, “I see no option but to trust you.” He took hold of the burnished hilt of his sword. “But I will warn you now. Should any harm befall the princess, I will not rest until you meet the sharp end of my blade.”

Robin held his gaze and seemed to consider his ultimatum. She did not shrink, or smile, but merely nodded. “Understood. I will keep her safe.” and with that she was off, skirting the edge of the wood in the direction of Lissa’s hiding place.

Now Frederick turned his attention towards the fray. Chrom and the stranger had managed to subdue two of the creatures, but they were still surrounded. The monsters were closing in.

Frederick did as Robin suggested, copying her movements and skirting the edge of the forest before bursting out and attacking the group from behind. He moved silently, many of the creatures never hearing his steed coming until he was already upon them.

One creature was crushed beneath Hawthorne’s hooves before Frederick had even brought down his sword, cleanly decapitating a second creature.

In no time at all, Frederick had cut a path through the group, splitting them into two groups. This sudden attack seemed to confuse the horde, who were struggling to regroup. Frederick took advantage of this break to approach Chrom, who called out to him with an ecstatic grin. The stranger beside him said nothing.

“Frederick! Thank the gods you’re here. It seems tonight is the night for extravagant entrances!”

“Mi’lord?”

Chrom shook his head and glanced at the stranger, “Never mind! I’ll explain later. Now, make sure Lissa’s safe, I think she went—“

“Robin should be with Lissa now.” Frederick said, then, with some hesitation, added “She will keep her safe.”

Chrom relaxed a bit at this “Good.”

“If you two are quite done chatting—!” The stranger gestured sharply towards the monsters, which had begun to reorganizing.

“Right.” Chrom readied his sword. Frederick sheathed his own and readied his lance.

Robin’s strategy played out beautifully. With the group now split it two, it was easy for the three of them to turn the tide of battle.

The stranger and Chrom took care of the group of creatures to the left, their blades moving in an uncanny harmony as they spun around each other. With every strike, came another complementing it. An elegant, if deadly, dance.

Frederick was, himself, not much of a dancer and in battle he preferred more direct methods. He charged in, overpowering the right flank as he swung his lance around in deadly arcs, driving its polished point through their rusted armor and deep into where he hoped their hearts would be.

That strategy seemed to be working for him until one of the creatures took hold of his weapon as it was nearly halfway buried into its chest. The creature shreiked at him, a horrible tearing sound, like the mere effort of vocalizing was hurting it. He tried to pull himself free, but the creature was pulling him closer. Hawthorne kicked at another monster that had attempted to claw at Frederick from behind. 

The monster at the end of Frederick’s lance shrieked again. Frederick struggled to remain seated. The creature was closing in, Frederick could smell the rot on its cold breath.

Finally he planted his armored boot right on the creature’s chest, braced himself, and wrenched the lance free at last.

The creature fell to the ground on its back. Frederick urged Hawthorne forward and watched the monster’s head get crushed beneath his steed’s hooves. It moved no more.

It all ended quite suddenly when Chrom and the stranger buried their blades in the chest and back of last monster standing. It convulsed before finally, with one final groan, it slumped to the ground.

The three men—and horse—stood in silence, breathing hard.

Chrom was the first to break the stillness, bending forward slightly, hands on his knees, and sighing. “Oof, that’s the last of them, I hope.” He straightened up and turned to the stranger, “Thanks for the help… I’m afraid I never got your name.”

Frederick dismounted his horse and went to stand just behind Chrom, his hands clasped behind his back.

The young man had his back turned to them as he sheathed his sword, faced them, and bowed. “You may call me Marth.”

Chrom raised an eyebrow, “That’s quite the name. Not many these days named after the great heroes of old.” Chrom nodded at one of the fallen creatures sprawled on the ground, “You wouldn’t have any idea where these things came from would you?”

Marth brushed some dust off of his sleeve, “They are but the vanguard for a much larger invasion. That’s all I can say for now.”

“Surely you can say more—“

Suddenly a familiar voice rang out from just beyond the forest perimeter, “Robin—!” followed by a savage clap of thunder.

Before he fully realized what he was doing, Frederick had broken into a run. A roaring filled his ears as he sped towards the wood, sword in hand. He was vaguely aware that Chrom was beside him, Marth following close behind, but all he could think of was Lissa.

Frederick’s thoughts echoed inside his head, an unbearable chorus.

_You damn fool._

He was almost at the woods.

_You practically delivered the princess into enemy hands._

He pushed past the trees.

_If she isn’t dead they’re surely long gone—_

The first thing the trio sees is Lissa—alive, if a little roughed up—standing just behind Robin, who was inspecting the charred corpse of what must have been one of the monsters. Both turn as they hear them approach. Robin steps in front of Lissa, hands crackling with electricity, her face fierce. But she quickly relaxes when she sees them step out from between the trees.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, casually shaking the magic off like one would do with droplets of water, “Glad to see you all made it out in one piece.”

“We could say the same to you.“ Chrom said from somewhere to Frederick’s left.

Lissa, who was still standing just behind Robin rushed towards her brother. “Chrom!”

Chrom, in turn, opened his arms wide to embrace his sister, staggering a bit as she tackled him. “Agh!—aha—I’m glad to see you too, Lissa.” He stepped back and held her at arm’s length, giving her a once-over, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes, I’m ok, “ She blurted, her next few words running together in her excitement, “Are YOU ok!? Did you get rid of them? What _were_ those things? They were awful! Oh I just felt so helpless. I really need to learn how to use a sword or—or an axe or something! I mean, _two_ people saving me in one day? It’s just—We were trying to sneak away but one of them must have followed us. It just came right out of nowhere! Why, if it hadn’t been for Robin—“ she stopped to catch her breath.

Chrom laughed, “Woah there, Liz. I’m just glad you’re ok.” He pulled her into another hug,

Frederick looked around. Robin had resumed her study of the corpse, her back to the three of them. Marth, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Frederick coughed.

Chrom looked over to him, letting go of Lissa and looking around. “Wasn’t Marth right behind us?”

“Yes M’ilord. But it seems he has gone.”

The prince frowned, “A mysterious character, that one.” He sighed, “I would have liked to have spoken to him some more, but I suspect that we haven’t seen the last of him.” He looked towards the tactician.

“You have my thanks, Robin.”

But Robin was too engrossed in her task to respond. Frederick joined her, standing to her left to get a look at this bizarre enemy for himself. Not that there was much left to look at.

Much of the flesh had burned away in Robin’s attack. Its skeletal form lay with its arms thrown outwards, its eye sockets hollowed out. Its mouth, sparsely occupied with a handful of brittle, white teeth, was agape in a silent scream. Deep within its gullet warm embers glowed and smoke still wafted off of the corpse. The stench of burnt flesh was sour and unpleasant as it mixed with the damp night air.

As he stood there, Frederick was acutely aware that, if Robin had had any intention of harming or kidnapping Lissa, then she would have surely done so by now. And yet here she was, calmly standing around, waiting for their arrival after saving the princess’ life.

From the corner of his eye, he examined her. She stood with her back straight and her arms clasped behind her back. She frowned as she studied the corpse, her expression otherwise inscrutable. Her hair was disheveled from the surprise attack, and her face shone pale in the moonlight, almost as if her powerful attack had drained her.

“Are you alright?” he asked, tentatively.

She looked at him and quirked an eyebrow. “Are you worried about me, sir knight?” Her tone was light, but there was a guarded coldness behind it now.

Of course he was concerned. He wasn’t an unfeeling monster. But, he admitted, it was a fair question considering how he had behaved thus far.

It was Frederick’s job to search for threats everywhere they may hide, a fact that Robin herself conceded to when they talked back at camp. But as he thought back to their exchange, he realized that there had been more than reasonable caution behind his actions.

_But I suppose it’s easy to toy around with the idea of death when one reduces real people into mere pawns._

Those words had been malicious. Spiteful. Spoken with the intent of causing harm. And what had prompted them? Nothing. A simple invitation to play chess. He had allowed his own anxieties about the oncoming war and opinions of the Plegian king, color his perception of this woman. Even if she was, in the end, a Plegian, was it fair to inflict his own biases upon her? Someone who had, up to that point, done him no harm and, in fact, had gone out of her way to help?

What would the Exalt say if she knew how he had behaved? She, who had always stressed the importance of compassion and understanding, especially towards the Plegians, whom their ancestors had wronged and exploited for so long. Was this behavior becoming of a knight of Ylisse?

He already knew the answer to that question.

He once again saw the tactician’s look of hurt at his words, when he had all but insulted her out of nowhere. The twinge of guilt he had felt back then returned, and this time it lingered like a foul taste in his mouth.

To Robin’s question, he merely said “You saved Lissa… thank you.”

Robin shrugged, “Of course I did, I couldn’t let her get hurt. Lest I ‘meet the sharp end of your blade.’” 

Frederick did not respond and only looked back down at the smoldering remains. Robin did the same.

“My memory is not what it used to be so I must ask.” she continued “is it, by any chance, common to see the dead walk amongst the living in this part of the world? ”

“Hardly.” Frederick replied, glad for change in subject.

“We need to tell Emm about these—these _things_.” Lissa said from behind them, shuddering. She remained standing beside Chrom and did not come closer.

Chrom nodded. “Agreed. I say we waste no time. Let’s head back to camp, pack our things, and march onwards towards the capitol without delay. Dawn is but a few hours away. What say all of you?”

Frederick and Lissa nodded in unison.

“Robin?” Chrom asked.

The tactician turned, “Couldn’t agree more. There’s no—” she gasped, clutching her side, and began to fall forward. Frederick, still standing beside her, put his right arm out in front or Robin to catch her, grabbing hold of her shoulder with his left hand.

“Robin!” Frederick exclaimed, almost in unison with Chrom and Lissa, who had rushed towards them.

Robin stared down at the ground, her face sweaty and contorted into a pained grimace. She grabbed his arm to steady herself, her knuckles white. The pair stood in this awkward bear hug for a moment before Frederick finally, carefully, lowered Robin to the ground.

“What’s wrong? Are you injured?” he asked.

“Hah…I’m fine, I’m fine” Robin said in a hoarse whisper, trying to to shake off Frederick’s hands.

Reluctantly, the knight pulled away, but he remained crouching beside her.

Lissa bent down to join then them, “I’ll be the judge of that, thank you very much.” she said, all traces of panic gone, “Now, let me see.”

With a hiss, Robin pulled away her reddened hands to reveal a slash in her right side. The blood had soaked through her undershirt. “The damn thing must have nicked me before I was able to kill it.”

“Hmmm...” Lissa examined the wound, “Well, it’s a nasty cut, but lucky for you it’s relatively shallow. I can heal you up enough to at least get you up and walking again. Then we can get you some proper care once we reach home. And because you got this wound saving the life of a member of the royal family, I’ll even do it free of charge!” She winked. 

Robin laughed weakly, then flinched. 

“Ooh, sorry. That was my fault. Too hilarious for my own good.” Lissa giggled, “Now, let’s get you lying down so we can get started.”

Once she had helped Robin lie down, she turned to Frederick, who had been silently observing up until this point. “It’s alright Freddy, leave it to me, she’s in good hands.” She said with a grin, holding up said hands and twiddling her fingers, which glowed with healing magic.

“Of… of course.” He stood up. “I shall head back to camp and begin packing our things.”

He looked at at Robin one last time as he walked away. She only spared him a glance before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as Lissa began tending to her wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
